Rukia consoled herself with the fact that this technically wasn't treason. "No less dangerous, though. I've never been the most competent with stealth. This isn't unreasonable, but what if they refuse…?" The way was very familiar to her- in fact, she was relatively sure she'd passed by several times in the past before she knew who lived there. It was a small and unassuming house close by the squad buildings, with small flower beds hanging beneath the windows, and a cobblestone walkway. The sun was waking just below the horizon, a pale gray light blending into the early morning sky. The door was locked, but Rukia pulled out Isshin Kurosaki's credit card and wedged it into the door, sliding it up and down until the found the bolt and very slowly inching the the bolt back. "They use these to buy things in the world of the living?" Thought Rukia, looking at the credit card as the door unlocked. "Much more useful to unlock doors, I'd say."

The house was quiet. Rukia padded towards the first open door, going behind the couch. "Empty. Looks like she uses this one for training and exercise," Rukia thought. "There's someone on the couch, but she wouldn't sleep there at home, would she? Pale hair, it seems… no, that's not her. The other room, then." Silently as she could Rukia stole into the room, shutting the door behind her. To one side of the occupied bed was a small writing desk, and on the other was a nightstand and lamp, against which rested the woman's soul cutter. Rukia sat down at the desk facing the bed and spoke, "Takanade, wake up. I need to talk to you." Softly repeating herself, it was only a few more moments before Rin stirred.

"Shinju?"

"No, this is Rukia Kuchiki." Rin swiftly sat up at hearing that, and Rukia motioned for her to stay quiet. "I'm only here to talk, so don't be alarmed."

"The last time someone broke into my house it wasn't to talk, so you'll have to forgive me for being startled."

"The last time?"

"A trio from the Stealth Force," Rin answered, tossing back her covers and swinging her legs over the edge of her bed. "It's… complicated, but someone over there is keeping a close eye on me. They might even be around right now for all I know."

"The way was clear when I was coming over."

"Good." The still quiet of the early darkness returned, Rukia hesitating and contemplating her choice of words before speaking again.

"Miss Takanade, my family is in a difficult spot at the moment. So, I'm proposing a deal: if you're willing to help me and do a little work for me, I'll do what I can to keep the Stealth Force at a safe distance from you." Rin didn't answer right away, so Rukia continued, "My brother's idea of adopting you into the family came as a surprise when he brought it up. I must say though, it has been on my mind since then. My husband speaks highly of you as a kickball player, and of your character, and I know my brother trusts you as an officer of his squad. So, my family believes in you, and since this is a family problem, I thought to come to you and ask for help."

"...I may not have much time, Captain Kuchiki. I confessed to killing Renji Fudo at the very beginning, it was just that the Captain-Commander didn't have enough to put me away. But now he does," Rin said with a sigh. "I gave him everything he needed to do that yesterday." "Captain Feng knows, and now the Captain-Commander does, too. I won't be a free woman much longer so what exactly am I risking?" Rin thought. "What did you have in mind?"

"Extra eyes and ears. If you'll forgive me for saying so, you operate at a much different social level than my family; people might say and do things around you they would never dare to around my brother and I. They've been killing us left and right, and we have no idea of who's behind it or why they're doing this. We just need to know something." "Of course she's not considering it," Rukia worried. "If she freely cooperated and incriminated herself, something like this would be beneath her. This was a-"

"Balance." Rin looked up towards Rukia. "When I fought Yoshiko Shihoin, she said that's what they were after. I would suppose that means they're attempting to remove you and your brother from office at the least. Yoshiko was prepared to do that by assassination in your brother's case, and she may for you, too."

"...Ungrateful bastards," Rukia swore, her heart growing inflamed with anger. "Before Yamamoto's time, the Soul King trusted no one more: he left them their shield and Twinned Punishment, and took one of them as his consort; they looked down on Chimon Kuchiki and his family, who were merely the greatest magicians Soul Society had ever known. It seems they haven't been able to let go of that. Us Kuchiki have had to work and work for everything we have, but they've just coasted on privilege for millennia. If you ask me, if you're going to balance Soul Society, they're the ones that need to go."

"I'll handle Yoshiko," Rin said after several moments of silence. "She's strong, Captain Kuchiki- but she still has a lot of training to do. If she attempts another assassination, I'll shut her down."

"Do you promise to?" Asked Rukia softly.

"I promise," Rin assured her. She thought for a moment, then asked, "What was Zenzo's voice like?"

Rukia blinked, taken off guard by the question. "It was a baritone, bright and full of strength." Rin nodded, and Rukia stood. "If we are in agreement, then I need to be going. I should be back at my home for breakfast." Standing, Rin held out her arms, and the two briefly hugged. Rukia then turned to the window, and tried to lift it up.

"The latch is in the middle," Rin pointed out. "You have to jiggle it a little before it turns."

"I am jiggling it," Rukia huffed, the latch turning loose a second later. She slipped through and turned back to Rin, saying, "Thank you for helping me, Miss Takanade. I'll be in touch later." With a nod, Rukia left Flash Stepped away.

C=={======

Yoshiko sighed. "No. I was able to get away before Zaraki arrived." She glared around the tea table before continuing, "Say what you want, but I still got the job done. It's within my means to see this to the end, and I will do so. Keep that and what I've already done in mind while you're criticizing me, which I'm sure you can't wait to get back to doing."

"The strike needed to be better researched," Yasuo Shihoin began. "There was another member of the division that was able to interfere, not to mention that Zaraki himself was still on the premises; in addition, Takanade was able to intervene on-"

"I specifically planned it for an occasion when she would be busy!" Yoshiko interrupted. "And as for his squadmate, they're dead as well- if it wasn't for Zaraki's presence there would have been no witnesses and no survivors. I planned it as good as I could have with the time you gave me."

"But what about Takanade?" Asked Yoshiko's aunt, Yui. "She's displayed an ability to access you regardless of your location. If she's as aware of you as she appears to be, then you should have prepared for her arrival."

"And Takanade should be well accounted for in your plans going forwards," Yasuo added.

"I think that's related to Sword of Gathering Flames," Yoshiko said. "I think I've overused it in my work-"

"It has nothing to do with Sword of Gathering Flames," Said a voice. A fierce chill ripped down Yoshiko's spine at hearing it.

"You're supposed to be dead," Yoshiko said

"Bad habit of mine, I s'pose. Since you didn't stay to finish the job, Tamina was able to get me to the med station and then to Squad Four."

"Who are you?" Yasuo asked sternly.

"Your lovely relative knows who I am. Why don't you ask her?"

"No. No, this isn't you, Zenzo. Only Takanade can do this." Yoshiko regained her composure, the shock wearing off.

"Where is she?!" Yui whispered to Yoshiko.

"You're right in saying only Takanade can do this, Yoshiko- I just happen to be with her right now. She was with the captain in interrogation when I came back. It seems she knows quite a bit about what's been happening to my family. We have answers now. We're prepared, we're ready. Is Yushiro ready?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Yoshiko yelled.

"My cousins may be the ones who are proper Kuchiki and get all the attention, but if it means keeping my family safe, I'll do whatever it takes."

Kaguya heard her back door open, and a few seconds later, Rin walked into the living room. "You alright, Rin?"

"I just needed a moment," Rin said with a quick smile. She took a seat in the corner of Kaguya's sectional, next to Shinju. She looked down towards the long end of the sofa to where Jin Ueshiba sat: he had a healthy glow to his tan skin, his wild curly hair pulled back into a ponytail; his high cheekbones and warm brown eyes suggested a certain playfulness. "This is still a lot to take in. I wasn't sure how I would handle it, but now…"

"I wasn't sure what to expect either," Jin said. "We were all kids back then, but you and Kaguya look so much more mature, and Shinju- well, doesn't."

"I finished growing early," Shinju grumbled.

"Just teasing," Said Jin. "You look older, too. But so much has happened. Where do we start?" As Jin finished speaking, there was a knock on the front door. "Do you think it's him?" He asked, looking over to Rin. Kaguya got up and went around the wall to answer. Kaguya's whispers sounded excited, and when she came back into the living room, it was with a man who appeared to be wearing the uniform of the Punishment Force. A closer look revealed to Rin the style was slightly more casual, and over the uniform the man wore a long, sleeveless black jacket. There was a nervous look on his face; his features were strong and sharp, and his dirty blond hair was cut in a short fade.

"Sorry I'm a little late," He said, his voice a light bass.

"Akinari!" Jin sprung up and walked over to offer Akinari a handshake. He accepted it with a nod, and took a spot on the loveseat opposite the sectional next to Kaguya. "So," Jin said slowly, "How's life?"

"Work has been pretty stressful," Akinari answered. "And I just got word I'm going to be getting almost no free time whatsoever for the forseeable future."

"I think work has been pretty stressful lately for all of us," Rin said. "I haven't had hardly any time to adjust to my new position, I let down my team at our kickball game the other day, and… well, my case is close to done."

Seeing everyone was aware of how the case against Rin was, Kaguya cleared her throat and asked, "What is your new position, exactly?"

"Sakura Kinoshita got kicked upstairs to Squad Seven, and I've been put in her place. Aside from the seat she held she also handled a lot of the less glamorous paperwork in the division," Rin answered with a chuckle. "I'm not nearly as fast a typist as she is, so things are already getting backed up."

"I've been swamped with paperwork too," Said Kaguya. "Tidying up and gathering all the details and stories my squad gets, in addition to putting the finishing touches on an article I've been sitting on for an eternity."

"So you're in Squad Nine?" Asked Jin.

"From day one," Kaguya said, holding up a finger and smiling.

"I've stayed with the Kido Corps, also from 'day one'," Shinju said, removing her fork from her hair and idly fiddling with it. "If I may ask, where did you head to after the academy, Akinari?"

"The Stealth Force," He answered, after taking a deep breath. "I was looking for… duty and brotherhood. Daremaru Marudare made me an offer for a place in his division after graduation, so I took it. I got what I wanted but I was in way over my head those first few months…" Rin saw Akinari's broad shoulders relax as he recounted his years in the Stealth Force. She noticed Jin's involved listening, and the parallels he noted to his own early service in Squad Four. Akinari glanced towards her, and she decided to speak.

"My first priority after graduating was to find somewhere safe. After all the rumors and things that happened at the academy I just wanted to get away. Not necessarily to hide- although I'll admit that was part of it- but to start over…" She looked over at Shinju, who had already heard of her early career in Squad One, but was still listening dutifully as if it was the first time. It was several moments before Rin forced herself to look away, trying to fight down her blush as she focused on Jin.

"Carrying around that burden of fear and anger for so long…" Thought Shinju as Rin told of her role in the quincy extermination campaign. Echoes of the turmoil it had caused within her showed on Rin's face as she spoke of the battles. The silence after Rin finished was a painful decompression, the weight of countless years lifted off. "...If the experiments shaped us all in some way, how do we define ourselves, going forwards?"

"As soul reapers- or kido practitioners-" Rin said, glancing at Shinju. "First."

"We aren't an outside force; we've been here fighting the same battles as everyone else," Jin added.

"But think of what happened to Kurosaki," Akinari said. "He was thrown around and used mercilessly."

"We would get picked apart if any of us spoke up on their own," Said Rin, nodding in agreement.

"So then it should be all of us, together," Kaguya said. "We aren't alone in this anymore, and it isn't just us, either: Fudo experimented on students before and after us."

"As a family?" Jin proposed after a short stretch of silence. The casual question bore an immense weight behind it.

"As family." Rin stood abruptly, putting her hand out. Shinju was next, putting her hand over Rin's. Kaguya and Jin stood at the same time, and after hesitating a second, Akinari stood and put his hand in.

He looked around at the others, then nodded. "As a family."

C=={======

"Such a day full of light," Thought Shinju, humming happily. "New beginnings with old friends… Everyone's alive and well, and I'll be serving as Rin's guest to the officer's ball…" Sighing with contentment, Shinju stuck her fork back in her hair and almost skipped home, feeling as if she was gliding. She thought back to the question, savoring the look on Rin's face as she asked. "Do I still have formal wear? I know I've used at least one kimono on a test dummy at my lab…"

Though the evening air was warm, a chill tingled down the back of Shinju's neck. Due to her love of explosions, Shinju had out of necessity developed a highly acute sense of danger. She paused a moment to augment the sense with her magic, the simple spell pinpointing the approaching attackers. "Almost completely hidden… these men are good…" Shinju said to herself, removing her fork from her hair and commanding, "Pull!" The counterpart to the Push spell arrested the motion of the assassins, dragging them through the air to where Shinju pointed in front of her. "Gentlemen! An explanation, please."

"Did we seriously get sent after a scrawny girl threatening us with a fork?" One of the masked assassins questioned, turning to one of the others as he stood.

"Prob'ly doesn't weigh a hundred pounds soaking wet," They answered, getting up from the street.

"Incorrect, as my long hair absorbs water and increases my weight a surprising amount," Corrected Shinju. "And this isn't a fork."

"I'm pretty sure that's just a plain fork."

"Incorrect again! This is my soul cutter."

The assassins glanced at each other, and began to chuckle. "You're an Ise, right? That's impossible. Literally- there's only one soul cutter an Ise's wielded for centuries."

"We are unable to imprint and bond, which is true. But what if I didn't have to do so? What if this was forged from a soul I didn't need to explore and connect to?" Shinju shook her fork, releasing the concealment spell and revealing an ornate katana with a lotus blossom tsuba. The eyes of the assassins went wide, and they quickly drew their own soul cutters. They fanned out into an attack formation, filling the empty street. A pale lavender light began to spread out from Shinju as she lifted her soul cutter. "Transfigure, Crystal Edge!" An effervescent cloud of sparkles burst from Crystal Edge, leaving it a naginata with a diamond-like blade. One of the assassins immediately darted in to attack from the side, but was stopped by a searingly bright arc of plasma blasting his eye. Shinju touched Crystal Edge to his arm as he collapsed, and the appendage liquified and stretched to impale another assassin's shoulder, his arm becoming solid again once it was lodged inside. "Pull!" Shinju called as the others scattered to flank her, the men colliding back to the spot with a heavy thud. She stabbed Crystal Edge into the ground, and the street beneath her attackers vaporized, reforming at neck level once they sank into it. "Goodnight, gentlemen. You caught me in a good mood, so if you are freed, please tell your employer I'd love to meet with them to discuss the matter of your work."

"You can go f-"The assassin's insult was cut short by Shinju stepping on his face as she passed, Crystal Edge sealed and confined to its fork form once more. "I swear, it's like everything connected to Takanade is cursed," He grumbled after Shinju was gone.

"I know, right?" Said the assassin to his left. "'Low value target' my ass." He turned his head to the two that Shinju had wounded, hearing their labored breathing. "Ken, Saborouta, how are you two holding up?"

"I can deal with the wound, but having Ken's arm inside me feels pretty damn disgusting."

"Ditto," Echoed Ken. "I think I'll be fine as long as I can get free and stop the bleeding. From what I can see, I'm closest to the surface, too. I'll see if I can get arm bad arm free and then break us out."

"Hurry, if you can. We still need to get to Hongo tonight."

C=={======

"Captain Kuchiki! They're here, sir!" Byakuya looked up from his desk to see Rikichi leaning through the doorway. Byakuya hurriedly flipped shut the folder of the Seaweed Ambassador manga he was sketching and stood.

"Thank you. You are free to accompany me, if you wish. I think it would be helpful to have other members of the squad present."

"Yes, sir." Rikichi bowed, and Byakuya led the way to the conference room in the main office's West wing. He noted the usual cool and calm expression on his captain's face, and wondered how the recent chaos had affected him. "Most of us were fine until the kickball game," Rikichi thought. "I didn't take it as personally as everyone else did, but I'm still wondering why Rin lied and left the game…"

"I need you to be welcoming," Byakuya said. "This is a difficult time for them, and I want the transition to be smooth."

"Of course captain. I'll do what I can to answer their questions." "Which I'm sure they'll have plenty of. Things are probably completely different between our squad and theirs," Thought Rikichi. He entered the room first, and cleared his throat. "The captain of Squad Six, Byakuya Kuchiki."

She had felt somewhat like a prisoner in the conference room. The sleek and minimalist design of it was timeless, but hardly comforting, and her new captain being announced like royalty had not helped in the slightest. She the tiniest fraction of a glance at her as Byakuya scanned the room, and figured she should stand. The others followed suit, and Byakuya nodded, and motioned for them to sit.

"I am aware of the unusual circumstances of your departure from your previous squad, the likes of which has never happened before in the records of the protection squads. Though much of this scenario is a break from tradition, I saw this as an opportunity to fortify my squad with proven talent, and to reinforce the ties between our two squads. There is a difference in work, but a similarity in service between your previous squad and mine. As such, I have placed you all in the positions of seated officers, which you will co-chair; they are as follows: Chinatsu Ito and Azusa Mori in the twentieth seat, Hana Goto, Kin Kondo, and Shiori Mikazuchi in the sixteenth seat, Usagi Shibata in fourteenth seat, and Yoshiko Shihoin in thirteenth seat. This will be a slight reduction in responsibilities for most of you, however, I may make additional opportunities available once you have acclimated to the squad." Byakuya looked around the table and reached into his jacket for the projector remote. He clicked the button several times, and a few frustrating seconds later, the projector screen dropped down, an illustration of Seaweed Ambassador spreading his arms and saying "Welcome!" fixed to it. Coughing to clear his throat, Byakuya finished, "I wish you all a fruitful employment here. I have more matters to attend to, so if you have any questions, please direct them to my subordinate Rikichi here." With a nod, Byakuya exited the conference room. "How does that world of the living saying go again?" He thought. "Ah- keep your friends close, and your enemies closer."